


If You Love Me, Hurry

by Starcrusher_jpeg



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-11-02 01:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starcrusher_jpeg/pseuds/Starcrusher_jpeg
Summary: Tension between friends sometimes signifies the death of a relationship, wouldn't it be better to just talk it out and resolve the issue?





	If You Love Me, Hurry

**Author's Note:**

> Wow this took a lot longer than I had hoped. Ever just stare at a blank document for an hour instead of actually doing some work? Yeah lol. This is my first published work and my first time writing fanfiction in at least 8 years, so apologies if this is a yikes

The tension was unbearable

It had been building up for a while, building up so slowly that no one could have noticed the gradual climb until it was so potent in the air it couldn’t be ignored. They had been friends since scout had joined the team, his personality energetic and boastful, the kind only someone young and excited about the world could bring, and sniper was the only one in the group that could handle it. His mellow, down to earth way of life meshed well enough for them to be able to stand each other in extended interactions and they soon found themselves at the end of sleepless nights and daring runs off of the base for late-night snack runs.

“Do you hate me?” The question was simple, scout was never one to dance around an issue, his problems needed to be faced with the utmost force; to be solved out of existence with nothing but stubbornness and sheer desire to get it out of the way. He sat cross-legged on the messy, carpeted floor of his room; empty Bonk! cans crushed and scattered as well as a few stray bullets that had been dropped and forgotten about. His room was one of the bigger ones that they had in the fort, their team’s sniper refused to stay in the base, but only after he had chosen, and shortly after, given away his room to scout since he didn’t want to see the space go to waste. 

Sniper sat in the same position right across from him, a small lamp in the opposite corner providing the only light made it difficult for him to clearly view his surroundings, but scout said he wanted to talk, and a conversation that starts with those words is usually a difficult one to have. His long pants made it hard to sit comfortably, his vest was already on the floor and his hat sat neatly on top with his sunglasses resting on the brim.

“What do you mean?” His voice was tired due to the hour of night and the exhaustion level of the man, but fatigue was the last thing on his mind. “What kind of question is that? You know I don't hate you” he responded, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Scout's hands would have usually gestured low to the ground with open palms, using physical movements as an extension of his everyday speech. Some would say it’s just him trying to get energy out so he doesn’t metaphorically burst, but scout was still aside from the tremble in his hands.

“Don’t act like you don’t know. Like you don’t know what I want to talk about. You feel it, I feel it.  _ Everyone _ feels it, something is going on between us and I don’t know what it is.” Scout finished with a huff of frustration

Sniper could hear the frustration and hurt in scouts voice, like a child looking for a lost toy that was in the only place they hadn’t searched. “I know, this tension between us  _ is _ getting a bit heavy, isn’t it?” seeing scout so vulnerable gave him an emotion he couldn’t pinpoint, he knew what was happening, but confessing could ruin the good thing they had and Sniper wasn’t ready to lose him. With the way things had been going, he thought maybe it already happened

“You’ve been avoiding me for weeks, don’t think I haven't noticed. I've been freaking out to the max about this for days I-” Scout stood, pacing back and forth in a few, small steps. “I've been a nervous mess for days trying to figure out what’s been changing everything, replaying interactions in my head to see if I did something”

“Scout, you did-”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Sniper got more flustered as Scout got more emotional, wiping away tears before they could fall down his face as he planted his feet to face sniper, looking down at him to meet his eyes

“You were the only one that could stand me when I first got here, everyone else either treated me like a child or said I wasn't taking my job seriously. I thought we were really having fun being friends, I know that in the end, we’re just co-workers but what’s wrong with making some friends while we’re in this hellhole?” 

Tears fell faster than the back of Scout’s hand could catch them, streaming down his face to silently drip off of his chin as his composure started to loosen. Sniper finally stood, his height barely surpassing the other man’s. His expression was soft, his heart aching in his chest threatening to crack in half if scout continued to act like he was now.

“I know-” Sniper took a few steps back, trying to give the other space to breathe, kicking some empty cans back with the heel of his foot that shattered the quiet atmosphere in between responses with the tinny rolling of the can. His tone was quiet, contrasting scouts impending emotional outburst and shaky breaths. “And, yeah I've been avoiding you a bit but you gotta’ understand that if you knew why I really don’t think-”

“So there’s a reason?” Scout interrupted. “There’s a reason that you’ve been avoiding me, making me feel like shit for days, and now that I've confronted you about it, you won’t even tell me why?” 

Sniper was getting frustrated, his mind trying to play out every possible response and scenario to find out what he should say, but juggling them all on top of each other and making the mental images blurred together. His own voice raised slightly, frustration being channeled into anger

“It’s not like I don't want to tell you, roo! I’m just scared that-”

  
  


“Do  _ not _ call me that right now!” He took a step closer to sniper, his face turning red and his muscles tightened up as his body got more rigid. “ _ You’re  _ scared?  _ I'm  _ scared! You’ve been purposely avoiding me for weeks! You’ve been making me feel like I did something horrible to you when all I've been wanting to do is talk!” Scout quickly pointed to under his eye in a single, harsh motion. “Do you think dark circles under my eyes are hot? How does someone as good looking as me get dark circles under their eyes? from staying up for fifty seven hours straight, that’s how!”

The back of his hand met his face again, hastily trying to wipe away the streaks of tears that blurred his vision. His throat had already started to get hoarse from yelling, burning and getting scratchy from his vocal cords crashing against each other without the support of a proper breath. A deep breath made his mind less frenetic and he was able to speak with a more gentle, yet shakier tone. “Whatever you’re too scared to say, just say it. Even if it’s bad, wouldn’t it be better than me thinking that you hate me?”

Sniper ran the palm of his hand down his face, fatigue setting in from the fight, as well as the number of consecutive hours awake. 

“Listen, Scout. You know I don’t do words very well-”

“Then get to the point”

“It’s just not that simple!”

“Why not?  _ Why  _ can't you make it simple?”

“Because emotions are hard to figure out! What if I say what I need to and you don’t like it?”

“Why can’t  _ I _ be the judge of that?!”

Scout's room was a mess, and Sniper always liked the fact that he didn’t have to try and pick up his things whenever scout wanted to hang out in his camper with him. He had always said something along the lines of ‘i came to chill with you, not your camper’ or however it went. Sniper was the one pacing the floor now, making longer strides and accidentally crushing cans under his feet; kicking dirty clothes and empty candy wrappers as he walked. Sniper loved a room that looked like it had someone living in it, and scout’s room was no exception

“Okay look. I've got my reasons for not telling you, why can’t you just accept the fact that I don’t want to?”

“Because, dude, I don’t care what you do but you keeping this a secret is hurting me! If it’s something that’s involving me, I get the right to know!”

**“** ** _I’m in love with you!”_ **

Sniper’s breaths were shallow, a small state of shock overtaking his body from the confession, his eyes were fixated on scout, trying to gauge his reaction; but from what he could tell, Scout’s face was the same as his: confused, and surprised

“I’m in- I”

Sniper couldn’t say it again, all of his energy channeled into one final, courageous outburst of truth to hopefully clear the tension between the two, a last resort to finally fix what he’d been slowly breaking.

“I’m in love with you”

Scout hadn’t responded yet, and sniper’s heart began to beat a bit faster than it already was. Scout took a seat back where he had originally started; sniper silently did the same. The room was silent, the air was thick, the lack of noise was ear shattering and sniper felt as if he could hear his own blood rush within his body. 

“That’s what you wanted to tell me?” Scout’s voice was still shaky, his face scrunched up and red from his crying fit. He wiped his hand with an article of clothing that was strewn across the floor beside him

“I just thought that you weren’t really, I dunno’-” he lowered his head to scratch behind his ear, fidgeting to try and help his nerves in the situation he’d put himself in; looking down as his lap for a second before dropping his hand and drawing his eyes to Scout’s face again. “Into guys or something. I’m not exactly close to your age, and I’m not really worried about my appearance enough to put too much thought into it.”

“All of that worry, all of the time spent anxious enough my entire body would shake, was because you didn’t know if I was gay or not? I’ve been dropping hints for  _ days _ !”

Sniper slightly tilted his head in confusion, letting out words before he could think of a proper response. “You what-”

Scout scooted forward, their knees just out of reach from each others as he flailed his arms in a more light-hearted frustration. “Why do you think I’ve been coming over so much? Do you really think I accidentally fall asleep in your camper that often? That place Isn’t as comfortable as my bed, and your coffee tastes like garbage, of  _ course _ I've been doing it intentionally”

“I just thought it was because you didn’t wanna’ make the walk back to the base when it got too late. So I-” He rested his head in his hand, both resting on his knee with his palm pushed against his forehead. “I’ve been worrying about nothing? All of this could have been avoided?”

Sniper felt Scout’s hand touch his chin, carefully guiding his head upwards to meet his eyes, they were blue, almost unnaturally so. Scout wiped away some tears that were starting to form in the other man’s eyes, a gesture that seemed to go almost unnoticed as they looked at each other. 

“If you were so worried about it, why didn’t you just come clean?”

“I was worried that something would happen between us if I told you.”

Scout responded with a smile, blowing a puff of air out of his nose. “Of course you were worried. Everyone worries about this kind of stuff. I was worried when I came out to my ma’. And I was worried when I had to tell my brothers.” 

Scout let Sniper’s chin go, leaning back and letting his weight rest on his arms that were shifted outstretched behind his back. “It never gets easy, the responses you get will always be different and emotional when it’s family or someone you really care about. Someone you’re scared of losing.”

Sniper inched forward again, his knees overlapping Scout's as they kept their sitting position. He leaned his torso forward and formed fists with his hands that were planted in his lap. With a quick motion, he pressed their lips together, getting a tense Scout in return. Their muscles relaxed after a few seconds, and they let themselves enjoy the kiss Sniper had locked them into, breaking himself away just enough to get room to breathe. “I’m oblivious, a very matter of fact man. I never try to assume anything because that’s what gets you killed out here. So if you love me, come clean”


End file.
